Ian Schreiber
@ianschreiber.bsky.social
Game designer, educator, parent.
Eldest Child: "Here's a thread where people are explaining the plot of a videogame poorly, but I'm not sure what game to pick for my post."
Me: "You should do Promise Mascot Agency, even if you explain that plot well it'll sound like you're explaining it poorly."
Me: "You should do Promise Mascot Agency, even if you explain that plot well it'll sound like you're explaining it poorly."
February 11, 2026 at 3:19 AM
Eldest Child: "Here's a thread where people are explaining the plot of a videogame poorly, but I'm not sure what game to pick for my post."
Me: "You should do Promise Mascot Agency, even if you explain that plot well it'll sound like you're explaining it poorly."
Me: "You should do Promise Mascot Agency, even if you explain that plot well it'll sound like you're explaining it poorly."
While I didn't see anyone using LLMs as a mechanic this year, I did see more disclosures of using them during development, mostly during early-stage concepting/prototyping to try out high-risk designs, art direction, etc. at much higher speed and lower cost than the traditional methods.
January 27, 2026 at 2:33 PM
While I didn't see anyone using LLMs as a mechanic this year, I did see more disclosures of using them during development, mostly during early-stage concepting/prototyping to try out high-risk designs, art direction, etc. at much higher speed and lower cost than the traditional methods.
Just to give folks a sense of the competitiveness of IGF, I personally rated 108 games (about 3/day over the one-month judging period!) and nominated 48 for at least one category, out of about 700 total submissions. This all gets boiled down to about 6 finalists + some Honorable Mentions per cat.
January 26, 2026 at 10:35 PM
Just to give folks a sense of the competitiveness of IGF, I personally rated 108 games (about 3/day over the one-month judging period!) and nominated 48 for at least one category, out of about 700 total submissions. This all gets boiled down to about 6 finalists + some Honorable Mentions per cat.
Every time, I see a few games saying why I should vote for them. While I personally chalk this up to people just misunderstanding the instructions, it does come across as pretentious (the dev telling the judge how to do their job). This is the judge's determination to make, let them make it. (2/2)
January 25, 2026 at 3:29 PM
Every time, I see a few games saying why I should vote for them. While I personally chalk this up to people just misunderstanding the instructions, it does come across as pretentious (the dev telling the judge how to do their job). This is the judge's determination to make, let them make it. (2/2)
Here's a tip for what NOT to do when submitting your game to festivals. When writing up your game's description, don't try to make the case for why the game deserves an award nomination in each of several categories. Think like writing a cover letter: state your strengths as a candidate. (1/2)
January 25, 2026 at 3:28 PM
Here's a tip for what NOT to do when submitting your game to festivals. When writing up your game's description, don't try to make the case for why the game deserves an award nomination in each of several categories. Think like writing a cover letter: state your strengths as a candidate. (1/2)
IGF judges and juries will absolutely roast your $250M 400-person-dev-team AAA game, it will probably not get recognized even if production values are great because too many ppl will say it violates the spirit of IGF and should be in GDCA or TGA instead. Not naming names, you know who you are. (2/2)
January 24, 2026 at 3:06 PM
IGF judges and juries will absolutely roast your $250M 400-person-dev-team AAA game, it will probably not get recognized even if production values are great because too many ppl will say it violates the spirit of IGF and should be in GDCA or TGA instead. Not naming names, you know who you are. (2/2)
The way IGF works, in particular, is they'll be happy to take your game's $75 entry fee without checking to see if you fit the eligibility criteria for entering in the first place (especially, making a judgment on "but are you actually Indie"). Anyone can enter. However... (1/2)
January 24, 2026 at 3:05 PM
The way IGF works, in particular, is they'll be happy to take your game's $75 entry fee without checking to see if you fit the eligibility criteria for entering in the first place (especially, making a judgment on "but are you actually Indie"). Anyone can enter. However... (1/2)
Ooh, this year's Polaris Reports are up. Probably at least one or two things there of interest to any game designer. polarisgamedesign.com/reports/
Reports
REPORTS 2022 2023 2023 Understanding Systems Suspense Why is it fun to learn the rules of a videogame? Not just to play the game, but to learn it; to travel from the state of unknowing to knowing, to ...
polarisgamedesign.com
January 22, 2026 at 7:42 PM
Ooh, this year's Polaris Reports are up. Probably at least one or two things there of interest to any game designer. polarisgamedesign.com/reports/
As a whole, IGF entrants seem to have figured out that LLMs tend to be terrible as a game mechanic. "RPG where all the NPCs are chatbots" or "adventure game where an LLM is building the map in real time" or whatever just don't work well. I saw a few of these in 2023-24, virtually none in 2025.
January 22, 2026 at 7:03 AM
As a whole, IGF entrants seem to have figured out that LLMs tend to be terrible as a game mechanic. "RPG where all the NPCs are chatbots" or "adventure game where an LLM is building the map in real time" or whatever just don't work well. I saw a few of these in 2023-24, virtually none in 2025.
Judges also need to have enough faith that you'll be able to actually pull it off based on the demo. Otherwise the reaction will be "enjoyed this, looking forward to seeing the full game, hope they resubmit next year with something more complete so I can actually nominate it." (2/2)
January 20, 2026 at 2:26 AM
Judges also need to have enough faith that you'll be able to actually pull it off based on the demo. Otherwise the reaction will be "enjoyed this, looking forward to seeing the full game, hope they resubmit next year with something more complete so I can actually nominate it." (2/2)
IGF always gets a lot of pre-release "demo" submissions each year, but know that in IGF, it's VERY hard to get recognition at the demo level since you're going up against MANY quality full releases. If your game isn't complete, you MUST bring enough that judges instantly see where you're going.(1/2)
January 20, 2026 at 2:25 AM
IGF always gets a lot of pre-release "demo" submissions each year, but know that in IGF, it's VERY hard to get recognition at the demo level since you're going up against MANY quality full releases. If your game isn't complete, you MUST bring enough that judges instantly see where you're going.(1/2)
Example: If you're making Roguelite Pinball, your pinball table should be well designed, the physics snappy; if your pinball doesn't have top-tier game feel, the Roguelite elements will not be enough to save it. Ditto for Roguelite Mario Kart, Roguelite FPS, Roguelite Beat-em-up, you name it. (2/2)
January 18, 2026 at 8:59 PM
Example: If you're making Roguelite Pinball, your pinball table should be well designed, the physics snappy; if your pinball doesn't have top-tier game feel, the Roguelite elements will not be enough to save it. Ditto for Roguelite Mario Kart, Roguelite FPS, Roguelite Beat-em-up, you name it. (2/2)
Also regarding Roguelite / Vampire Survivor-likes: when combining with another genre, you have to really NAIL that other genre perfectly, to the point of being a stand-out game in that genre even without the other stuff, if you want to be recognized for it. (1/2)
January 18, 2026 at 8:59 PM
Also regarding Roguelite / Vampire Survivor-likes: when combining with another genre, you have to really NAIL that other genre perfectly, to the point of being a stand-out game in that genre even without the other stuff, if you want to be recognized for it. (1/2)
Another thing: There's starting to be some fatigue with Roguelite / Vampire Survivor-like mechanics and progression. It feels kind of like the contemporary version of what "indie platformer" felt like ten years ago - everyone is doing it and people are starting to roll their eyes a bit.
January 18, 2026 at 5:21 AM
Another thing: There's starting to be some fatigue with Roguelite / Vampire Survivor-like mechanics and progression. It feels kind of like the contemporary version of what "indie platformer" felt like ten years ago - everyone is doing it and people are starting to roll their eyes a bit.
First: The Roguelite / Vampire Survivor-like space is VERY crowded now. Just saying "let's add run-based progression to Genre" doesn't count as innovative anymore, five other indie teams are doing that same exact thing, so you really have to be outstanding to, well, stand out. (2/2)
January 16, 2026 at 3:26 PM
First: The Roguelite / Vampire Survivor-like space is VERY crowded now. Just saying "let's add run-based progression to Genre" doesn't count as innovative anymore, five other indie teams are doing that same exact thing, so you really have to be outstanding to, well, stand out. (2/2)
Okay, so I've kinda run out of IGF games from this year to post daily (what, did you think there were 365 of them that were that great?). But I will drop a few comments on trends and lessons learned. (1/2)
January 16, 2026 at 3:25 PM
Okay, so I've kinda run out of IGF games from this year to post daily (what, did you think there were 365 of them that were that great?). But I will drop a few comments on trends and lessons learned. (1/2)
Today's indie game: War of the Western Deep (sunsgrove.games). Currently just a demo on Steam, but a competent old-school LucasArts style graphic adventure, with gorgeous art. For people nostalgic for those days, this is one to keep an eye on (among many other graphic adventures in IGF this year).
Sunsgrove Studios
sunsgrove.games
January 13, 2026 at 7:51 PM
Today's indie game: War of the Western Deep (sunsgrove.games). Currently just a demo on Steam, but a competent old-school LucasArts style graphic adventure, with gorgeous art. For people nostalgic for those days, this is one to keep an eye on (among many other graphic adventures in IGF this year).
Today's indie game: Titanium Court (store.steampowered.com/app/2364580/...). Classic Match-3, but made by the Fae, so everything is a bit off. As you dive deeper things get weirder. If you like other "systems suspense" games (Frog Fractions, Candy Box, A Dark Room) you'll like this. "Coming Soon"
Titanium Court on Steam
A surreal strategy game for clowns and criminals.
store.steampowered.com
January 12, 2026 at 3:21 PM
Today's indie game: Titanium Court (store.steampowered.com/app/2364580/...). Classic Match-3, but made by the Fae, so everything is a bit off. As you dive deeper things get weirder. If you like other "systems suspense" games (Frog Fractions, Candy Box, A Dark Room) you'll like this. "Coming Soon"
Today's IGF entry: Stretchmancer (stretchmancer.gg). Upcoming 3D puzzle-platformer (think Portal). Manipulate your environment by squashing or stretching things in one direction. Whole thing treated like a Warner Bros cartoon following the Principles of Animation. "Coming soon."
Stretchmancer on Steam
STRETCH THE WORLD! In this comedic first-person puzzle adventure, you are The Stretchmancer. Squash and stretch everything around you to solve fiendish puzzles, defeat the Claustro Empire, and save th...
stretchmancer.gg
January 9, 2026 at 5:25 PM
Today's IGF entry: Stretchmancer (stretchmancer.gg). Upcoming 3D puzzle-platformer (think Portal). Manipulate your environment by squashing or stretching things in one direction. Whole thing treated like a Warner Bros cartoon following the Principles of Animation. "Coming soon."
Today's indie game: Forbidden Solitaire (greyaliengames.com). Grey Alien makes games based on Solitaire but with Extra Video Game Stuff. This is their latest with dungeon-crawl vibes and an Inscryption-style "this isn't actually a game, it's a story ABOUT a fictional game" meta. Coming Q1 2026.
Grey Alien Games - The home of Ancient Enemy, Regency Solitaire, Spooky Bonus, Spring Bonus, and Holiday Bonus. Fun PC games for everyone!
Download free games and demos for PC including Regency Solitaire II, T-Minus 30, Ancient Enemy, Shadowhand, Regency Solitaire, Spooky Bonus, Holiday Bonus GOLD, Spring Bonus, Unwell Mel, Fairway Solit...
greyaliengames.com
January 9, 2026 at 12:22 AM
Today's indie game: Forbidden Solitaire (greyaliengames.com). Grey Alien makes games based on Solitaire but with Extra Video Game Stuff. This is their latest with dungeon-crawl vibes and an Inscryption-style "this isn't actually a game, it's a story ABOUT a fictional game" meta. Coming Q1 2026.
Today's IGF entry: Dead Horizon (pixelwestern.itch.io/dead-horizon...). Link is to a playable demo to try for yourself. Western-themed graphic adventure but with modernized mechanics that set it apart as an evolution of the genre. Looking forward to full version (listed as "coming soon" on Steam).
Dead Horizon Demo out and playable!
Er... I mean I guess if it's out it better be playable. That title might be reductive. The point is that Dead Horizon's demo is now up. Anyone can play it and make fun of it! (Please don't make fun of...
pixelwestern.itch.io
January 7, 2026 at 10:25 PM
Today's IGF entry: Dead Horizon (pixelwestern.itch.io/dead-horizon...). Link is to a playable demo to try for yourself. Western-themed graphic adventure but with modernized mechanics that set it apart as an evolution of the genre. Looking forward to full version (listed as "coming soon" on Steam).
Today's indie game: The Drifter (store.steampowered.com/app/1170570/...). There were quite a few decent LucasArts-style graphic adventures this year and this is one of them. This stayss closer to the genre's roots than most (for better or worse) so much more likely to trigger nostalgia, at least.
Save 15% on The Drifter on Steam
A Pulp Adventure Thriller - A murdered drifter awakens. Alive again, seconds before his death. Hunted and haunted, help him untangle a mad web of conspiracy in this fast-paced point 'n click thrill-ri...
store.steampowered.com
January 5, 2026 at 5:44 PM
Today's indie game: The Drifter (store.steampowered.com/app/1170570/...). There were quite a few decent LucasArts-style graphic adventures this year and this is one of them. This stayss closer to the genre's roots than most (for better or worse) so much more likely to trigger nostalgia, at least.
Today's IGF entry game: CloverPit (store.steampowered.com/app/3314790/...). One of many Slay-the-Spirelikes based on gambling. This one leans hard into the gritty side (the devs cite Buckshot Roulette as an inspiraation) and while this feels more RNG-focused than most, I have to admire its style.
Save 20% on CloverPit on Steam
A rogue-lite slot machine nightmare. Gamble for your life in a never-ending debt simulator!
store.steampowered.com
January 4, 2026 at 2:48 PM
Today's IGF entry game: CloverPit (store.steampowered.com/app/3314790/...). One of many Slay-the-Spirelikes based on gambling. This one leans hard into the gritty side (the devs cite Buckshot Roulette as an inspiraation) and while this feels more RNG-focused than most, I have to admire its style.
One IGF 2025 entry per day: Reality Break (elementgamesonline.com). Overhead-view ARPG IN SPAAAAACE. Nifty alternate-universe thing going on where you can modify the timeline (hence the game's name). If you were disappointed with Diablo 4 and miss the old school ARPGs, you'll probably like this.
Element Games
elementgamesonline.com
December 31, 2025 at 5:53 PM
One IGF 2025 entry per day: Reality Break (elementgamesonline.com). Overhead-view ARPG IN SPAAAAACE. Nifty alternate-universe thing going on where you can modify the timeline (hence the game's name). If you were disappointed with Diablo 4 and miss the old school ARPGs, you'll probably like this.
Today's indie game: Wander Stars (papercastlegames.com). Ever watch any kind of martial-arts-themed anime where it seems like everyone has to shout out the name of their next move just before they attack? Here's an entire RPG based around this as the combat system.
Paper Castle Games - Paper Castle
We're Paper Castle! Friends making home-made games. Creators of Underhero & Wander Stars. We make games that tell stories.
papercastlegames.com
December 31, 2025 at 12:02 AM
Today's indie game: Wander Stars (papercastlegames.com). Ever watch any kind of martial-arts-themed anime where it seems like everyone has to shout out the name of their next move just before they attack? Here's an entire RPG based around this as the combat system.